Posts Tagged 1978

I’d previously thought that I started the comic in very late 1977, but I now think that’s unlikely. I saw Star Wars at the very end of 1977—probably after Christmas. I did drawings of Star Wars at the end of 1977, but I don’t think they were comic pages. Much as I’d like the comic to have been started in the year the film came out, I don’t think I can honestly say that anymore.

These are quite childishly drawn ones. If they’re all from 1978, I was 9 and 10 years old. There are 2, possibly even 3 versions that were done in 1978. I think the first pass was with wobbly, coloured felt-tip pens. If I did the whole film, then the majority of those pages are now gone. The same goes for what I think is the second pass, in wobbly black biro/ballpoint. I a trashed huge number of those too as I got better at drawing, and became dissatisfied with them. There are lots of these remaining at the end of the comic after the escape from the Death Star, right through the ‘Last Battle’ of Yavin. But, most of them have had one side of the A4 sheet cut off and thrown away. Those halves were then stapled together. So that would have been the early part of the film adaptation, on the other side of the book, all gone and replaced with newer pages.

As I said, there may have been a 3rd pass made in 1978 too, but it’s very hard to tell. I try to assess up the style and quality of the drawing—and the types of paper they were drawn on, to figure out the different iterations.

These 1978 pages are the most childishly drawn ones, and often done without many references except trading cards and the Marvel comics. Much of the time, I can’t see any references at all, so they look even more bizarre! They’re the silliest pages and they’re my favourite ones of all! They really take me back to childhood.

Reading this Version:

They’re listed here in story-order; so if you read the comic here, it’ll be the closest you can get to reading my first adaptation of the movie (and I’ll weep for all of the pages that I threw away and replaced, as my drawing ability kept on improving).

This listing has them in reverse order. If you go to the last page, you can go backwards through them from the very first one.

c.Early 1978/age 9 or 10 The Millennium Falcon goes in arse-first. Now this is more like it, readers! It’s one of my favourite pages of the whole book. I love it because of: “C’mon you creeps!” “Yeah, we’ve captured a ship!”[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…

Look at the SIZE of that thing! c.Early 1978/age 9 or 10 Is Han referring to the size of the Death Star or Luke’s huge 3D chin? And observe dear reader, if you will: the importance of the arrangement of your[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…

early 1978/age 9? “But… I only just blow-dried my hair!” There are a few things that puzzle me about this page. It was first drawn in ’78 but Han has been retrospectively doctored–maybe 2 or 3 years on. And a lovely-haired-Luke has been added[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…

(early) 1978|age 9 “Full reverse Chewie”—and keep on shakin’ it! Solo decides to turn tail and get the hell out of there and then… POW!—the Millennium Falcon is grabbed by the Death Star’s tractor beam. And as always, these very oldest pages keep[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…

The Wookie’s certainly gracious in Victory isn’t he? (if only there was a text-format for sarcasm) Pffft…. I bet he dives in the Penalty Area too. “I suggest a –– new stragedy (sic) Artoo let the wookiee win.” –Star Wars age 9 We’ve[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…

A nice find! I like these panels. So I’m very pleased to have rediscovered them in the attic. They must have been cast-offs, rejects. Otherwise they wouldn’t have ended up in this state. See the edges of the paper? They’re[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…

Let’s play a game of Dejarik! Oh… wait, maybe not. Maybe let’s not play a game. Not with him anyway. God… SPELLING! “G A R R O ! R” Yes, that’s right: s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g! And even if youre was the right word to[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…

mid-late 1978? | age 9/10? I love this page! It was a nice surprise when I rediscovered it in 2009. Do you notice that Han originally said “Cover yore eyes folks!” —before I added a ‘U’, to er, correct it—which is[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…

We soar away from Tatooine! I was never quite sure where the Millennium Falcon‘s artillery was positioned. Hmmm… I guessed top and bottom. But then, how do Luke and Han look over their shoulders at one another when sat at their[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…

And we’re off: Part 6 begins. The interrogation of Princess Leia, from around 1978. This scene in the film always brings a smile – oddly enough! Are you injecting – or skewering me?” Look! A floating robot turnip! Are you injecting[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…